The Importance of Being Gloria
by GloriaFan
Summary: Season 3. The kid's school does a production of Oscar Wilde's 'The Importance of Being Earnest'... With hilarious results!


_**~ The Importance Of Being Gloria ~**_

* * *

Gloria walked into the P*lace with a small book in her hand. It was her intent on finishing the book in less than a day.

"Whatcha reading, Gloria?" Riley asked polishing an ice cream scooper with a small hanky, setting it back up on the shelf and grabbing an ice cream bowl. "So, what'll it be?"

"Oh hey, Riley. My usual will be just fine." She said setting down her book as Riley grabbed his freshly polished scooper off the shelf and dipping her ice cream in front of her. "It's an old British comedy called _The Importance of Being Earnest_." She said in her best British accent.

"Ah, really? Isn't that by that Oscar Wilde guy?" He said washing the scooper off and drying his hands on his shirt.

"Yep, we're doing it at school. Renee, Stacy, Kid, are. And I think Mario is auditioning." She said taking a bite of her ice cream.

In addition to enjoying the script she was going to be in it. See, the school was putting on another play in addition to their Rock 'N' Roll version of _The Wizard of Oz_. They took a chance and did a British comedy. Gloria was especially excited about the production, due to her liking of the Victorian era. She was auditioning for Gwendolyn, the female lead. So therefore she tried her best to study the part carefully and also tried to learn about the period itself. Gloria went around like this for several days, reading the part over and over. She loved the play, the characters, the outfits, the romance, but, when reading over the lines for about the second or third time she encountered a problem, the fact that she would have to act out these quote-on-quote romantic scenes with a guy, and she wasn't sure who that guy may end up being. She eventually decided, however, that it was nothing to fret about and it was all in the theater.

When she went to auditions the next week, she did an outstanding performance of the character, in a scene by herself. When the results were found to be posted on the board in the drama room she was ecstatic. She got Gwendolyn, but she had so much to do, or so she thought, practice her lines, get her costume tried on and altered to fit right, learn how to sip tea and all that stuff, but one thing she neglected to find out was who Jack/John/Earnest would be.

When the first practice came around the following Saturday, she was surprised to figure out that several people from the band got parts. She saw Wendy and walked over to her to say hi.

"Hey, Wendy! Looks like you got the part! Cecily, right?"

"Yeah, Gloria, and you got Gwendolyn, correct?"

"Yeah, I'm really excited." She said giving a friendly wave to Wendy.

"See you, later." Wendy said with a smile, walking off.

Gloria decided to go and find her costume to try it on and see what, if anything, needed to be altered. So she made her way to the teacher swiftly passing and waving to Mario. But, she stopped when she saw Jules and Ryan rehearsing the lines of Algernon and Jack. Gloria froze in her steps, not out of fear, but of surprise. She had not heard Ryan say anything about being in the play, much less getting the lead.

"Oh, hey Gloria! I guess we'll be having a bunch of scenes together!" Ryan said walking over to her and sticking his hand in the pocket of his jeans. Gloria bit her lip. She knew that it would be awkward doing the scenes with Ryan but reminded herself, once again, that it was all in theater. It's not that she was embarrassed to be seen with him, Gloria really loved Ryan, just not in a dating sense. More like a "I'm your big sis, you're my little bro" kind of way.

Of course, she wasn't the only one who wasn't too thrilled about the cast list. Renee wasn't too crazy about it either. Jules had all those scenes with Wendy. So, in her own way she was enraged about the cast list, which is as follows:

Ryan – Jack

Jules – Algernon

Gloria – Gwendolyn

Wendy – Cecily

Renee - Lady Bracknell

Stacy – Ms. Prism

The Kid - Dr. Chasuble

Mario - Lane

Ethan - Merriman

This play had a better plot line (and line up) than last year's production of _West Side Story_, in which Jules had to pretend to kill Ethan which was more awkward than any romantic scene could ever be. Especially since Billy the Gweeb did not audition, there was no trouble in the annoyances department.

"Time for practice!" the teacher said, walking to the middle of the room. "Cast, take you places!"

Jules took his place in a metal chair for practice.

"So did you hear what I was playing, Lane?" Jules asked, reading from his script.

"No, I didn't think it polite to listen, sir." Mario, replied, mock re-arranging dishes on the small table in front of them

*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*

"Charming day it has been, Ms. Fairfax." Ryan said, stepping from his seat later in the day.

"Pray don't talk to me about the weather, Mr. Worthing. Whenever people talk to me about the weather, I always feel quite certain that they mean something else." Gloria said, walking around. "And that makes me so nervous." She said, shooting her head back around.

"I _do _mean something else." Ryan said, arising from his seat and walking towards Gloria.

"I thought so. In fact, I am never wrong." Gloria said with a smile.

"And I would like to be allowed to take advantage of Lady Bracknell's temporary absence…" Ryan said, stepping closer to Gloria.

"I would certainly advise you to do so. Mamma has a way of coming back suddenly into a room that I have often had to speak to her about." Gloria said with a smirk.

"Miss Fairfax, ever since I met you I have admired you more than any girl…I have ever met since…well, since I met you." Ryan said in sort of a stutter.

"Cut!" the drama teacher said. "Let's skip this line for the sake of time." She said, looking down at her watch.

"Alright. Do you really love me, Gwendolyn?" Ryan asked.

"Passionately." Gloria said in a normal way.

"Cut!" the teacher said again. Gloria heaved out. "Try being more expressive."

"Alright. Passionately! Wait, no, PASSIONATELY!" Gloria exclaimed.

"Darling! You don't know how happy you've made me!" Ryan said, stepping in closer.

_Can he get any closer to me? _Gloria thought. She knew however Ryan had had a crush on her ever since they had first me on his first day of school. She had made it clear before that she couldn't pursue a relationship with him, considering how much younger he was. But, she still wanted to be great friends.

"Alright. Practice is up for today!" the teacher exclaimed, motioning everyone out of the room.

*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*

There Gloria stood. Sipping her malt at the P*lace several days later. The play was just three days away, she had memorized her lines but was still nervous about delivering the 'romantic' lines, regardless to whether Ryan was in the role or not. She sat there, thinking of how awkward it was going to be, her and Ryan up on stage acting like they are in love! LOVE? GROSS! Well, it was not exactly gross, but just weird. Three more days passed and the night of the gang's performance was there. Gloria stood back stage in her costume making sure she had her lines memorized.

"Passionately!" she said in the most expressive way possible, following the teacher's instructions.

She looked out the curtain to find her mom, dad, Riley, and the other kid's parents in one row.

A few more minutes passed and it was finally her and Renee's big entrance. Right before they left Renee mouthed 'Break a leg, Gloria' and Gloria mouthed back saying 'You too, Renee.'

Gloria and Renee went up on stage and Renee exited with Jules after several minutes. Gloria swallowed and began to deliver her lines. She stayed in character well enough that she didn't even mind delivering the lines she had worried about for so long. The rest of the play went perfectly. And when Ryan delivered his final line, Gloria thought to herself as she took her bow,

"I've learned the amazing importance of being Gloria."


End file.
